"What do you mean Lloyd's not back yet?!"

Genis was nearly beside himself with laughter at Sheena's indignant cry, and he watched with great amusement as Zelos fled her outrage by hiding behind a bewildered Colette. Presea was smiling as she sat beside him, though her eyes were zeroed in on the miniature paw-pad bracelet Genis had bought for her that morning after playing with Noishe.

"I haven't seen him since you two ran off this morning!" Zelos exclaimed helplessly, holding Colette by the shoulders and using the blond Chosen as a shield. Sheena didn't try to push the blond aside, but her eyes were hard with annoyance as she glared over the tiny angel's shoulder. "I swear!"

"I haven't seen him either, Sheena." Colette replied calmly, though her lips were quirking into a grin at Sheena's unmistakable worry. She had never seen the summoner so concerned, her affection was adorable. Meeting the ninja's dark topaz eyes, she suggested gently, "Maybe Regal knows where he went off to? They talked last, didn't they?"

Sheena said nothing, though inwardly she groaned at herself. 'Why am I being so utterly stupid?!' Without a backward glance at the rest of the party, she dashed out the door and left them behind, intent on finding the young man she had fallen so helplessly for.

"Thanks for saving me." Zelos moaned thankfully, wrapping his arms around Colette's shoulders and hugging her gently from behind. He felt her hands fly up almost immediately to touch his forearms, and he quickly dropped his arms from her, sensing her embarrassment. Suddenly shamed, the redhead apologized profusely, "Sorry Colette, I should've thought before I did that–"

"N-No..." Colette mumbled, though her cheeks were still painted a bright pink, her heart echoing loudly in her ears. When she risked a peek over her shoulder, she could see his face was tinted dark as well, as though he shared her awkwardness. Her stomach flipped pleasantly however when she saw the true concern in his playful blue eyes, and she continued rather pathetically, "I-It's okay Zelos... I just wasn't ready for that, that's all..."

"Would you feel better if I just held your hand?" The words felt strange on his tongue as he spoke them, his quick mind suddenly without a flippant quip to ease the tension. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, but the obvious pleasure made him smile. Without waiting for her permission, his hand closed over hers and he asked in a much more quieter voice, "Is that better for you, Colette?"

The blond turned completely crimson, and she found herself unable to speak. Nodding hastily to cover herself, she could feel her fingers entwining with his as if on natural impulse. Coughing once, she squeaked, "Um... Zelos, do you... Would you like..."

"Sure, let's blow this place." Zelos finished for her, though in a much more blunt fashion. Smiling at her squeaky voice and shaky touch, he nodded towards the talking two on the couch and continued pleasantly, "They'll be fine here by themselves. Since Sheena and Lloyd already saw it, why don't I give you a tour of the royal garden? Do you like flowers?"

"O-Oh yes, I like flowers!" Colette announced loudly, as though she was answering a question for her professor. Blushing fiercely at her clumsy behaviour, she tugged on Zelos' arms and asked frantically, "Can we go and see them please?"

"Hehe, yeah, sure. Just be careful. I don't want to lose my arm." Zelos teased her gently, using his free hand to ruffle her hair as he led her out of the mansion. He could feel Genis' smug gaze on his shoulders, but oddly enough, he wasn't annoyed by it. Colette's presence by his side was like a tranquillizer, he felt calm, content. "Let's go!"

Genis snorted as the two Chosen left the mansion to himself and Presea, and he watched until the door shut with a loud crack behind them. Turning to a bewildered Presea, he felt compelled to explain even as his own face warmed, "I think they're going on a date, just like Sheena and Lloyd were earlier."

"Ah, a date." Presea nodded slowly, though the meaning of the word popped into her mind almost immediately, the way her friend had spoken it made her curious. Trying to understand what he could have been inferring by his tone, she spoke carefully, "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by saying that about them, Genis."

"Well, uh..." Genis was well aware of his blush spreading from his face to his neck, warming almost his entire body. Fumbling for words to both seem intelligent and disguise his embarrassment, he stammered out his answer. "T-They're spending time together because they're uh... S-Special to each other, like they're important, you know? They r-r-really care about each other, so they wanna spend as much t-time together as possible, like going out on d-dates."

"Ah, I see... Because they care about each other, they wish to treasure their free time together to make important memories." Presea nodded again, quite pleased with this newfound idea. She paused them, frowning thoughtfully as an odd twist in her stomach brought a wave of contentment through her tiny form. 'Then... Was...?' Confused yet oddly excited, she searched for her words as well, though she had no idea why she was trying suddenly to be careful with how she phrased her question. "Genis...? Does that mean when you and I went out together to play with Noishe... Was that, in fact, a 'date'?"

"H-Huh?!" The young warlock nearly bolted from the couch, however his legs were locked in place, making it impossible to move. His heart beat rapidly in his throat, and his stomach was twisted so tightly he was amazed he was keeping down his breakfast. 'She just asked me... She just...! Does she honestly know what she just said or was she teasing me!? Wh-What do I say?! What do I say?!' "I-I-I-I... Uh... I-I-If y-you w-w-wanted it to be a d-date, I guess it could've be-been..."

"Genis, why are you stammering?" Presea questioned, very confused by the boy's red face and shaky voice. Concerned that he could very well be developing a cold, she reached forward to press her hand against his forehead to test for a fever, as Raine had instructed her to do. While she did this, ignoring Genis' increase in stammering and stiffening posture, she asked calmly, "Genis, you are my comrade and friend, you are important to me. I don't see how our 'being on a date' would be a problem."

"P-Presea, y-you're important to me t-t-too..." Genis mumbled out pathetically, flinching at his blunder. Presea's hand drifted to his cheek now, testing his temperature and he knew his blush would only make it seem like he was ill. He couldn't force himself to draw away however, though he was completely stunned at how soft her hand felt against his cheek. "I... I like you."

"I like you as well." Presea answered with a smile, sitting back on the couch and watching as the boy's face grew an even darker shade of red. He felt warm, but she knew without really knowing that he wasn't ill. Idly fingering the charm on her new bracelet, she couldn't find herself able to break his gaze. That warm feeling was back in her chest, washing over her scarred and icy heart to soothe the pain of her loneliness. 'My friends... They are all dear to me...' She glanced at the young warlock, finding his awkward behaviour to be quite intriguing, nearly as interesting as the paw-pads she had found herself so inexplicably attracted to. 'Genis...'

"Presea..." Genis began awkwardly, his embarrassment fading to be replaced by a cold wash of fear. His joy at hearing her words had suddenly turned bitter, transforming into a fear. The memory of the villager's contempt in Iselia, the cold eyes of the elves in Heimdall, it burnt him. His voice quiet, almost scared, he asked, "You don't... You don't mind me being a half-elf, do you?"

The hunter blinked, taken aback by his question. Though she knew little when it came to experiencing emotion, something stirred in her chest and warned her about the severity her answer would carry. She paused, allowing the idea to filter itself in her mind. "Ozette... was known for its contempt for half-elves. However... Daddy always told me that despite that, we were truly all equals... If you were not a half-elf, it would not bother me anymore than the fact that you are. It makes no difference to me." She was well aware of the young half-elf sighing in relief, but that brought on a round of worry in her. 'He knows nothing about me... Would it... Would it disgust him? Would he.. Never look at me with such kind eyes again if he knew about my lost time...? Or does my very being human... bother him?'

Noticing her preoccupation and frown, he leaned forwards and asked her gently, "Presea? Are you alright? Did I maybe say something wrong asking you that?"

"No... No, you did not ask anything wrong... However, may I this time ask you a question?" Presea waited until he nodded, his face completely serious. It was as if she was explaining to him the technique of producing mana from thin air, and she relished his attention without knowing why. "Does my... Does my being human... If I was a half-elf... would you like me more than if I was human?" 'I... I cannot tell him... I just can't tell him... He's a child... but he still... He still means so much to me...'

"I only hate the humans who hate my kind. The ones who jump to make assumptions about Raine and me." Genis explained quietly, though there was a new quality to his voice and eyes, a hardness that Presea instinctively disliked. "I like you, Regal and Sheena, I don't mind you... It's the ones that just won't accept what we are..." He laughed bitterly, shaking his head at the burning sensation the words caused on his tongue. "But then again, I'm just like them, aren't I...? I'm as bad as they are for hating humans for hating us..."

Presea shook her head, narrowing her eyes. Her hands tightened almost instinctively into fists, and she had tensed as though she was ready to leap into battle. His expression stirred something in her chest, something that made her want to shake some sense into the boy even though she didn't know why. Logically, his words made sense to her, and she wanted to agree, but she couldn't. Her words were a disagreement with her mind, but she found no reason to care about it as she spoke. "No, you are not. I will not believe that. You are different from the people who chastised and abused you and your sister. They cannot admit their misdeeds, and you at least can admit where you go wrong and attempt to atone."

"Presea...?"

"Genis, I will not forgive you if you continue to speak like that. I simply won't stand for it." Presea explained flatly, though something was stretching and moving with audible cracks inside of her tiny body. Struggling with herself to keep the emotion from reaching her face, she continued quietly, "The people who cannot see past skin, past their prejudice... You are not like them. You at least try to like the humans you are with, and that counts for something. It has to–" She was cut off when his small hands fixed themselves on her shoulders and yanked her close, enveloping her in a tight hug. Blinking in surprise, she realized her arms had simply stopped working the second he embraced her.

Genis' voice was shaking as he closed his eyes tightly, fighting off the tears he knew were trying to spill despite his best efforts. Her words, though flat and cool, were the warmest thing he had ever heard. "Thank you... Thank you." He felt her moving shakily in his arms, as stunned as he was by the sudden embrace. Her thin arms slowly wound themselves around his shoulders, her tense body relaxing as she hugged him back. 'Thank you... for saying those words... Even if I don't believe them right now... Thank you.'

"You know, I'm truly surprised you managed to talk some sense into him, I don't think anything I said got across to Sheena." Raine commented with a little laugh, shaking her head at the duke's embarrassed expression at her words. Folding her arms across her chest, she glanced up peacefully at the bright blue sky, adding softly, "You have an odd way with words around them... I envy that."

"Lloyd only listened to me because I helped him finish his puzzle, if I hadn't been able to do that, he would have ignored me and stubbornly attempted to fix it on his own." Regal answered her with a simple shrug, though his face had turned a nice shade of pink at the compliment.

Raine's lips twitched at the reference to a puzzle, though she said nothing for a moment. 'That reminds me...' A devilish smile growing on her face, she asked him casually, "By the way, Regal, now that you mention puzzles, I wanted to talk to you about that checkmate." He stiffened at her side, and she forced herself not to laugh. 'I knew it...' "There is no answer to that particular situation, is there?"

Regal coughed once, his first knee-jerk reaction to escape. He couldn't look up to see her expression, worried that he would find only anger in the normally kind eyes he had grown quite fond of in the past few weeks. Letting out a little breath, the duke explained quite lamely, embarrassed to admit it, "You're... right... There was no move... I knew you would be hard-pressed to figure it out, so I hoped I would be able to speak with you over the game... I... I was..."

"I'm glad you lied." Raine laughed quietly, finding herself leaning ever so slightly on his shoulder as they walked through the streets with lazy contentment. She truly was pleased, their little talks had somehow changed their relationship, something that while embarrassing her, gave her great pleasure. 'He has become a truly great part of my life...' "To be honest, I was always anxious when I spoke with you, I looked constantly for something trivial to discuss but looks like you beat me to the punch."

Regal chuckled too, suddenly feeling the weight from his chest lift ever so slightly. She was smiling, her pale face still dusted pink, but there was a shy happiness in her eyes that he had never seen before. He had longed to see her smile honestly, free from her cold facade that she truly despised. 'She's a loving person that forces herself to be strong for the sake of strengthening those around her... It makes her so deserving of love...' Knowing that familiar warmth in his heart, he allowed it to wash over his scars and began to caress them, in hopes of healing the wounds he had carried for so long. Perhaps too long. "Raine...?"

Raine looked up sharply at the call of her name, eyes widening automatically. There was a tenderness in his deep voice that sent a delicious jolt of anxious desire through her body. He was leaning close to her, his hands gently resting under her chin, azure eyes intense. Her breath caught in her throat even as her mind positively shrieked in delight. 'He's going to....' "R-Regal...?"

"May I beg for permission to kiss you, Raine?" His voice was the lowest of a whisper, his thumb gently caressing her chin in an absent way that made her ache. His eyes never left hers, staring into what could have possibly been her soul.

'I'd let you run me through if you asked in that voice.' Raine found herself thinking blearily, her mind oddly detached from her body as she returned his gaze. She couldn't find her words, so she simply nodded and closed her eyes tight. 'Martel, if this is a dream, don't wake me until it's over...'

The pressure of his lips on hers immediately caused her eyes to fly open, her entire body freezing to the spot as if she had grown roots out of her feet. The kiss only lasted a few moments, then it was over, sweet and chaste yet incredibly fiery nonetheless. His eyes were still closed as he drew away, but his mouth was curved into an unmistakable smile of pleasure. She was sure her expression mirrored his, and she whispered a quiet, "Oh..."

"I've been longing to do that for quite some time..." Regal muttered gruffly, resisting the primal urge to repeat it, and this time not leave the embrace so simple. She smiled hesitantly at him, her face red but her delight obvious. He extended his arm to her, bowing slightly as he retained his professional manner, "May I request the privilege of being your escort for the rest of the day, my lady?"

"Yes, you may, my good sir." Raine answered pleasantly, winding her arm around his, brushing her fingers against the tense muscle. She risked a little peek up at the man, noticing the gentle light in his eyes. 'He looks so much younger when he smiles... I wonder if he ever noticed that about himself... It's quite an attractive quality...'

"I have been meaning to ask you..." Regal coughed once to ease his embarrassment, thoroughly bewildered at his awkwardness. It had never been easy to speak with her over any of the other members of the party, but now it seemed to be even worse. Annoyed with himself, he took a deep breath, grunted, then tried again. "Ahem... The royal party the king plans for us to attend... He made a suggestion of bringing an escort, and I wondered if you would like to accompany me."

"Of course, though I do want to warn you, I'm not the type who enjoys those fancy parties." Raine told him with a roll of her eyes, idly fiddling the collar of her robe in embarrassment. She had never been the type to dress up either, and now the thought jumped into the forefront of her mind. 'I have no idea what sort of thing they'll be sending for me to wear, I'll probably look absolutely horrid...'

"I do not prefer the company of the nobles either." Regal assured her with a wan smile, gently giving her hand a squeeze to make her smile. It worked well, her cheeks pinked but her lips quirked and he was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her again. He gave into that urge, though he made sure to keep the embrace short. "I would much rather prefer to be with you the entire night. It would certainly make for more pleasant atmosphere."

"Though you'll need to mingle at least a little, you are a duke after all. They'll expect to see you and your attendants trying to get along with the high society." Raine teased lightheartedly, laughing when he rolled his eyes in what could have been exasperation. There was a smile playing on his mouth however, and she knew he was amused. "By the way, I would like to question that, I don't believe I ever was your attendant. Lloyd I can understand, but honestly, me?"

"Royalty obviously does not realize true beauty and talent when it stares them in the face." Regal answered her simply, quite pleased to see the professor jerk as though she'd been electrocuted. On cue, her pink cheeks skipped at least three hues as they darkened. 'She's quite easy to embarrass... It's quite adorable... Besides that wretched fan-club of hers, has she ever been called beautiful...?' "You look shocked."

"I-I'm not shocked, I'm just... caught off guard." Raine answered somewhat defensively, brushing her free hand over her face as though it would wipe away her blush. He said the words so simply, as though they were a simple matter of fact and couldn't be debated. Annoyed at being outplayed, she wracked her mind in an attempt to find a way to get even. At a loss, she finally conceded and admitted bitterly, "Fine, I'm surprised. Not many people compliment me... Being a half-elf sort of ruins that."

"It doesn't matter to me that you are a half-elf." Regal told her quietly, though there was a new firmness in her voice that drew her gaze in surprise. His eyes were dark, yet again intense, and his hands had tightened on hers. He leaned down to add more emphasis to his words, and the professor was suddenly very aware of their difference in size. His voice was gentle but incredibly intense when he continued, "You could easily be human, elven, or even an angel of Cruxis, and it would not change how I feel about you. Your race is not what makes you who you are, if you were human it would not change the fact that you are a compassionate, intelligent, quick-witted and brave woman. I have no care for racial quarrels when I know it doesn't make you who you are. You are what you make yourself, and race has nothing to do with it."

Raine bit her lower lip against the flood of arguments her mind made almost immediately to his warm words. Her logic was taking a beating as her heart soared, and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. The words were foreign, almost a different language, but his emotion rang true. There was no deceit in his face or in his voice. Hoarse, she whispered a weak, "Thank you..."

"Raine, you are an exquisite creature, and nothing will change that." His arms looped over her head and tugged her close, effectively trapping her in a strong embrace. He could feel her lithe body shuddering against his own as her hands clutched at the front of his shirt, burying her face in his chest. She needed to hear those words, no matter how tough or well-built her facade was. 'Even someone like her will need a shoulder to cry on...' As he held her close in the middle of Meltokio, he could feel something shifting inside of his chest, towards the woman in his arms. 'When did this start happening...? When did I find myself so... in love? Do I even deserve it after everything that happened...?'

Feeling her cold tears on his neck, he shook away the thoughts, settling for tightening his hold around her waist. The guilt was consuming, but his worry was just as fierce. 'I need her to be alright... It doesn't matter how I feel right now... As long as she is okay... I think it will be alright... Fate has blessed me and perhaps it's just time for me to accept it...'

"Thank you..."

Lloyd muffled a grunt as he tossed himself onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow with a low curse. Night had fallen outside, the only light that shone in the room was the fire and the glow of the moon outside his window. Rolling onto his back, he raised his hand in front of his face, watching the fire's light catch and reflect off of Anna's Exsphere.

He spoke aloud, his voice lower than a whisper as his eyes fixed on the glowing centre of the gem. "Mom... I wish you were here to help me... I don't know who else to talk to about Sheena..." It was as if she was answering him, a warm and featherlight warmth spread through his crest and into his arm, moving its way slowly and steadily into his chest and around his heart.

A gentle knock on his door broke through his thoughts, and he sat up automatically. Forgetting he was only wearing a thin t-shirt and leaving his blades by the bed, he hurriedly got up to answer the door. He blinked in alarm when he saw who was standing there, his mouth moving instinctively to speak her name. "Sheena...?"

"I'm glad I found you, do you know how hard you are to track down?" Sheena asked in a playful attempt to be scolding, but her voice broke and she felt her muscles sag in relief. It was nearly midnight, and she had spent the better part of the day trying to find him. She was exhausted but overwhelmed with relief.

"Sheena, you look tired... How long have you been out there?" Lloyd asked worriedly, tugging her inside and closing the door behind him with a snap. She was shivering as he pulled her into his arms, and he realized with a jolt that she was cold. Immediately clutching her even closer, he exclaimed softly, "You're freezing... What were you doing?"

Sheena sighed quietly, enjoying the warmth his body gave her simply by embracing her. Pressing her face against his chest to hear his heart, her arms dropped around his waist as she returned the hug. Her voice soft, she answered, "You didn't come home... I got worried..."

"Home?" Lloyd repeated with a raised eyebrow, drawing away slightly to glance down curiously at her. She looked properly shocked at her own blunder, and with a quiet laugh he kissed the crown of her hair. His voice gentle, he whispered tenderly into her ear, "Yeah, you're right... Home... My home is wherever you are, it doesn't matter where it is..."

"If that's the case, why didn't you come back?" Sheena asked, valiantly trying to fight off her pleasure to his words. He said it so sincerely, she had no trouble believing him. Unable to let him go just yet, she settled for nudging her nose against his, trying to look annoyed but even that didn't seem to want to work out. 'I'm just too happy to have found him...'

"I had some stuff to sort out." Lloyd answered truthfully, Regal's words ringing in his mind even now. He hadn't been able to face her with the duke's voice still whispering in his ear, instilling a doubt that only left him feeling empty. Her eyes were wide with worry, and he smiled gently to ease it, brushing his mouth along her cheek as he whispered, "It's okay... I'm alright now... Sorry for leaving you alone, I won't do it again."

"You better not..." Sheena grumbled quietly, but she made no effort to push herself away from him. He nuzzled against her hair, breathing quietly and holding on tight. Bringing her hands up to rest on his chest, she kissed the only part of him she could reach, his hair, and continued softly, "I don't like it when you're away from me. I can't focus on anything, I just get all flustered..."

Lloyd tried not to smile, her words echoing the hollowness he had felt since he left her in the garden. Leaving her behind was like separating his soul from his body, leaving him achingly empty and painfully alone. Absently moving his bare hands down her arms, he was surprised to feel how cool her skin felt against his. "You're still cold... C'mon, you need to get warm."

Sheena didn't object when he took her by the hand and sat her down in front of the small fireplace in the corner of the room. Sitting practically in his lap, his fingers entwined with hers, he held her hands out to the fire to warm her, occasionally ducking his face to kiss the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder. With a contented sigh, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, losing herself for a moment. 'It just feels so good to sit here and say nothing... It's comfortable. I'm so at ease with him around, all my nerves from earlier just disappeared the second I saw his face...'

"How long were you looking for me?"

"I got back to the mansion an hour after talking with Raine... I kinda sat around for a little while then when Zelos told me you hadn't come back by about dinner I decided to go and find you." Sheena admitted sheepishly, waiting for the scolding she knew she was going to receive. She had spent the better part of the afternoon searching every hotel for him when she couldn't pick up a trail in the city, and by the time night fell, so had the temperature. Her toes and fingers felt rather numb, but with the way he was holding her, she didn't doubt it'd take very long to warm up again.

Lloyd stifled a laugh and sigh of exasperation, burying his face into her hair, letting the floral scent calm him and set a fire in his blood at the same time. His heart hurt as he held her close, impatient to get her warm and make her feel better. 'She spent all that time looking for me... I seriously don't deserve her...'

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" She twisted her head to get a good look at him, topaz eyes gentle with concern when he frowned slightly. Wriggling a hand free of his grip, she reached behind her to gently trace his lips, satisfied when they quirked into a smile almost instinctively.

"Well..." Lloyd sighed when her eyes narrowed and she cocked one eyebrow, telling him without words that she wasn't going to accept anything short of the truth. Kissing her fingertip, he took a deep breath and steadied himself, still unable to let her go. He began wearily, "After we got caught, Regal kinda had a talk with me."

Sheena raised both eyebrows now, wondering where this conversation could lead them. She remembered very well her short chat with Raine, and it brought back all of the sensations that he'd instilled in her that morning. Twining her fingers with his, she better settled into a more comfortable position while turning herself around so she could see his eyes. "And...?"

"I told him some things." Lloyd answered her half-truthfully, avoiding her curious gaze unconsciously. The words rang true in his heart now, but he couldn't find the strength to speak them. 'I've stood up to Yggdrasil, to all of the Spirits, to countless monsters and Martel knows what else... And I can't tell her that I...' Resting his forehead on her shoulder, he breathed deep to try to settle himself, holding her as though she would slip from his grasp at any moment.

"Lloyd...?" Sheena began softly, unsure of what had brought the strange mood on in her swordsman. She jumped at the unconscious possession she had used, eyes widening as the realization struck her like lightning. 'When did he become "mine"? When did I...?' closing her eyes tightly, she felt the ferocity of her emotion gently savage every part of her body that she'd never allowed it to touch.

"You mean the world to me." He still couldn't look up at her while he spoke the words, too worried to see anything but acceptance in the kind eyes he had come to love. His hold tight and eyes clenched shut, he whispered against her neck, "You mean everything to me. If I lost you... I don't know what I'd do, I don't think I could keep on living. I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you. You're more than just my comrade, my friend or my soulmate, you're my reason for living. Sheena, I... I love you."

Sheena felt something snap with a thunderous crack in her chest, letting loose a flood of mixed emotion that was so fierce she forgot to breathe. She sat in his arms for what seemed like forever, trying to think through the words that were almost being screamed in her head. 'He said it... He said it!' Swallowing the stone in her throat and taking a deep breath, she gently pulled away from his arms, placing a hand under his chin to lift his face to hers. Smiling sheepishly into his worried face, she let her hand rest against his cheek, murmuring softly, "I love you too, Lloyd."

His reaction was instinctive, and it caught them both off guard. His mouth was gentle against hers, his hands moving to undo the bow in her hair, letting it cascade down her shoulders. Her arms wound around his shoulders to pull him closer, eagerly opening her lips to his questing tongue. She felt rather than heard him growl in satisfaction as the kiss intensified, and moving on instinct, she slid her hands down his neck and splayed them flat on his chest.

"I love you." Lloyd whispered when he broke the kiss, both of them breathless and dazed. She just nodded, topaz eyes liquid gold as he resumed the embrace. It was her turn to moan as his mouth left hers to travel lazily down her neck, hands moving slowly down her ribcage then back up to rest on her shoulders. She clutched at the front of his shirt, throwing her head back with another whimper of his name that sent a purely primal surge of arrogant pleasure through the swordsman's entire body.

"I love you too." Sheena groaned as he leaned her back onto the carpet, settling himself on top of her in an oddly ordinary position. The harder planes of his body pressed tenderly against hers, giving her a new but still familiar sensation of completion. He left a hot trail of kisses down her neck and to her shoulder, tugging the neck of her robe away so he could get better access to her skin.

"Regal told me..." Lloyd whispered between kisses, feeling her legs moving restlessly against his own, reigniting the desire he'd been fighting for what seemed like centuries. "He told me that lust was nothing to be ashamed of..." Slowly and tenderly running one hand under her shirt to caress the sensitive skin of her stomach, he continued huskily, "That I just wanted to express my love for you in ways that I couldn't in words. I think I get what he means now... I want to love you, Sheena."

"I want you to love me." Sheena whispered back, closing her eyes tightly as his hand moved curiously against her stomach then up against her chest, causing her to shiver. She'd never been touched so gently in her entire life, it stoked the hunger that nearly made her cry out. She could feel her rational thoughts slipping from her mind as her entire being focussed around his touch and the pleasure he was giving her.

Lloyd kissed her again, feeling her right leg hooking itself around her waist as she began to move underneath him. There was a strange rhythm to her movements, and he could feel himself replying against her as the kiss grew more intense. She tasted so sweet against his tongue, it drove him wild.

"Maybe we should move to the bed?" Sheena suggested breathlessly as they both parted for a quick gasp of air. She didn't release him however, she barely remembered how to move her legs and she doubted she had the strength, or the desire, to pull away from him.

Groaning quietly at her soft suggestion, he tried to pull away from her kiss but couldn't find it in himself to do it. "Sheena..." He groaned in agony, wrenching himself away from her with more self-restraint then he ever thought he'd have to use. His arms feeling painfully empty, he simply scooped her from the floor and cradled her to his chest, resuming the kiss as though he'd never broke it.

She barely felt herself being set on the bed, or him leaning over her, never breaking the kiss. Every fibre of her body was on fire as his hands slowly began to untie her robe and slide it from her body. His mouth was busy whispering over her newly exposed skin, eager to claim it as his own while she busily made do with undressing him as well.

She couldn't remember the countless times she'd dreamed of doing this, of being able to touch him so carelessly. This felt so much better than any dream. Her fingertips ghosted through his hair then down to his chest, feeling the muscles tighten under his skin at her touch. Feeling quite pleased with this development, she repeated the gesture, earning a groan of pleasure from Lloyd. She smiled.

Lloyd would have spoken but his words had escaped him. She rolled him over onto his back with a swift movement, straddling him with another. Propping himself up, he kissed her again, winding his fingers into her hair as she purred her pleasure to the embrace. Eager to see how much else he could make her feel, his hips began to move on their own, mocking what they both knew was to come yet didn't know.

"Oh Martel." Sheena moaned out loud, closing her eyes tightly as the friction proceeded to drive her insane. Her entire middle body ached in protest, leaving her a whimpering mess as she clung to him tightly. His hands were magic on her hot skin as they moved downwards and gently pulled off the skintight sleeves she wore under her kimono. Wanting to see the rest of him while she was already half undressed, she pulled once at the hem of his t-shirt, signalling she wanted his obedience.

Smiling darkly at her unspoken command, Lloyd released her and slowly raised his arms, eyes flashing at the delight he saw in her eyes. There was more than desire there, he could see the love she felt for him too as she removed his shirt and let her fingertips slide down his bare chest. Her hands were gentle while she familiarized herself with every contour of his toned body, and he found himself content to close his eyes and lie still while she explored.

"I've dreamt of doing this for a long time." Sheena told him quietly, leaning down to kiss the exposed muscles of his torso. He stiffened under her, his hands flying up to catch her by the shoulders. Not deterred by this, she continued the torture, listening to him hiss her name between grit teeth. It only served to further her excitement. "Jizou you drive me nuts..."

"You're driving me insane too." Lloyd grunted, fighting to keep his body still under her exploration. The featherlight touches only served to drive his desire to a new edge, nearly causing the pleasure to be an agony. He saw her face above his, eyes sparkling with mischief as though she knew what she was doing to him. She ran her index finger down his chest, stopping at his pants before gently moving down lower to touch his fly and unbutton it.

Intrigued by the groan he made when her fingers brushed ever so slightly against his arousal, she made to unbutton the rest but he was too quick for her. In one smooth movement he'd seized her wrists in one hand and switched their positions. His hips pressed tightly against her own, he growled into her ear, "Not yet. I want to see all of you first."

"If you say so." Sheena replied in a breathless laugh, taking her hands out from his grip and instead holding one of his in her own. Slowly she moved his hand up her stomach and to the thin fabric of her bra, letting him decide what to do next. She had completely forgotten to be awkward with her body, to feel strange as he rained kisses and touches to parts of her that she normally didn't allow to be seen. Lloyd made it so easy to just accept the pleasure and be earnest to return the favours.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Lloyd muttered against her jaw as he kissed her again, moving his left hand around her body to pull her off the bed and press against him. His right however was busy exploring her front, testing the thinness of her bra before moving his fingers lazily across her front. She gasped sharply, her entire body becoming stiff at the motion. 'So she likes that?'

"Lloyd, please." Sheena found herself begging, biting her lower lip to stifle the cries that were building in her throat in response to his teasing. She had a very difficult time remembering that he had never touched a girl like the way he was touching her now, it seemed like he knew everything that made her whimper and beg for more. "Please..."

Her pleas sank into him like lead, causing him to drop his head from her mouth and press his face into her neck. Groaning quietly as she continued to squirm underneath him, desperately seeking a release that he too was aching for, he groaned, "Tell me what you want."

Sheena moaned softly as his lips found her ear, repeating the command in a growl that thickened his voice and sent delicious shivers of pleasure and desire through her entire body. He nipped tenderly at her earlobe, his tongue moving in circles against her neck to only increase the pleasure. Eyes clenched tight and knowing what the words would condemn them to, she whispered, "Complete me, Lloyd. Make love to me."

AN

Hehehe.... XD (runs off in a complete fangirl manner, laughing like a maniac). Okay, before anybody gets any idea about flaming me for what I just left, lol, I want to humbly request something. I don't like writing smut, I'm going to tell everyone that right now. It's embarrassing, I feel awkward writing it, but I do it anyway, lol. So if you want to see the full thing, then just tell me politely in a review XD I'm not a tease just to be a tease, okay? XD

Brave Soul: (points to above statement) Lol, so yeah. I don't exactly feel like the entire situation has to be written, and that it makes the story regardless of if it is or not, but lol, there we go. Hehe... and did you catch the RainexRegal moment? XD Have I been screwing you up with that, or have you gotten used to it yet? Lol, just remember that I like to joke around, so I don't mean anything offensive by teasing, lol.

Koinekid: Heehee... Thanks? I hope this makes it... easier to review? XD

Sychotic: Actually writing emotion is always something I've tried to improve on when I write. It's hard to express sometimes, through body language, tone and inflection, which sometimes just can't be caught in a written scene. I'm glad I'm doing it relatively well, lol.

Swordude: Was it longer this time around? I tried hard to make it longer for you, lol. Hehe... XD Thank you though, and if I was teasing you last chapter, am I just being horrid to you right now? Hehe... I take no sadistic pleasure from that comment either, tis why I'm leaving it up to the readers to "demand", and I use that term very lightly!, a full continuation in the next chapter.

Btw... Shameless plug in... XD I have a poll going on right now on my profile because I'm useless. I got the BEST ever assignment for my second period journalism, I get to do a narrative interview with any fictional character of my choice. I fangirled so hard all the people around me told me to shut up. I was the happiest teenage girl alive. Since I can't really decide whether or not to do somebody, I figured I'd pose the question to the people who know me as a fangirl, my readers. I might end up uploading the written interview on ffn just for the laughs, so keep that in mind when and if you vote... and please vote XD I need help!

PS: I dedicate this chapter to one of my newest friends that I discovered online not too long ago. You've given me the courage to write for them and I'm very blessed to call you my friend writer in arms. Thanks for everything Dmitri, aka Celsius009).

Sky